Carpenter receives royal seal of approval

A Yorkshire carpenter has been chosen for a place on a prestigious course run by the Prince of Wales Heritage Scheme.

Stephen Jefferson, a former student at Leeds College of Building, is one of just 10 apprentices selected for the Building Craft Apprentices Programme which teaches traditional techniques and gives the apprentices the chance to work with master craftspeople on heritage sites across the UK.

“My lecturer at college Joe Clancy encouraged me to apply for the course and I’m really looking forward to learning more about some of the traditional skills associated with my trade,” he said. “I’ve worked as an apprentice joiner for five years and gained an invaluable amount of on the job training, but this course will take my skills to a whole new level.”

The eight-month programme - now in its fifth year - starts in July with a three-week course at the Prince of Wales’s Residential Summer School in London where the apprentices will learn about renovation and traditional building skills and how they can incorporate them into their work in the 21st century.

After the summer school, the apprentices take a short course in small business skills followed by a seven-month placement with master craftspeople who specialise in traditional building and conservation.

• Leeds College of Building lecturer Joe Clancy has been recognised for his exceptional work by City & Guilds. Mr Clancy, who has lectured at the college for 31 years, has been awarded a Medal for Excellence – City & Guilds’ highest accolade – for his outstanding performance in advanced carpentry and joinery.